Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-12-08
INDIAN "SNOW DANCE
SCENE At STANDING ROCK AGENCY
. - FORT YATES, o. T.

Stands at IS Degs- Below ZerO-Dog
Soup for Refreshmcnt.
had long been wanting to see an In
dian "snow dance" when one Saturday,
after the usual bi-monthiy issue Of rations.
it was rumored that there was to be an
| unusually large one about four miles from
the post. 1t was a clear, cold winter
night, with the mercury standing at
| 2S degs. below zero. The members OF
our little party were soon snugly nesting
| in the straw at the bottom OF govern
ment sleigh. and we were travelling
toward the dance as fast rs four good
mules could draw us.
| The dance was held in a low log house,
about forty feet long and eighteen feet
wide We alighted at the door, around
which were gathered quite crowd Of un-
| invited spectators. The door and windows
were open and the house, which was not
divided into rooms, was lighted by two
kerosene lamps. We entered during
| lull in the festivities. In one end Of the
room, sQuatting on the ground close to
the wall were thirty-tive or forty squaws,
dressed in their usual calico dresses and
wooleu shawls Around the walls at the
| OIner eDU S.tI tUt Ifsstt SutStS. Nstth WIN
his blanket or sheet drawn over him. In
one corner of the bucks end Of the room
was a tomtom, or Indian drum, around
which were seated just as many old bucks
as could crowd into the little circle. Near
| the middle Of the room at the squaws'
end was another drum, equally we'll pro-
vided with musicians. Near these was q
small stove, in which wrinkled old buck
| l. fra u
twigs. We ranged ourselves along the
wall near the door and, although our en-.
trance was noticed by all. they gave no
indications OF it hy look or word.
| CADENCE OF THE ToMToMs.
Soon after our entrance the old fellows
around the tomtoms began to beat th am
with measured cadence, at the same q ne
accompanying the sound by grooming q
weird song. Suddenly one buck threw on
his sheet, and springing to his feet began
TO dance He was quickly followed by
the others, and in a moment our brains
We're almost whirling at the grotesque
sight. The dancing consisted Of series
of horrible contortions of body and face,
ACCOMPANIED BY the most blood curdllng
shrieks and yells, the feet, meantime,
keeping accurately the cadence Of the
PAhsS "aN"
noticed that notwithstanding the extreme
cold of the night these men were almost
entirely naked most Of them wearing no
clothing but a woolen breechcloth and q
pair Of beaded moccasins. They were
painted in the mCst striking manner from
head to foot. Each had a headdress or
bonnet Of coloved buffalo hair, with .
fringe Of eagle feathers running down the
back. Brass bracelets and anklets and
strings of be .ds also adorned many Of
them The description Of the decorations
of one of them will serve for all.
In addition TO the adornments above
mentioned he had double string Of
sleigh bells running from his ankle to q
strap passed around the leg at the knee.
At the small Of his back. and attached to
his girdle was an immense bunch OF long,
colored buffalo hair His face was painted
saffron yellow, with large red spot on
either cheek and horizontal red lines run
ming across the forehead. His eyebrows
and, the edges Of the lids were painted q
dazzling white His body was red and
his arms and legs were light blue, with
occasional bands of yellow. In one hand
he brandished tomahawk, highly Orna-
mented with colored horse hair and pOr-
cupine Guills, and his appearance WAS
truly hideous as he twisted himself into
almost impossible positions and gave his
blood curdling yell. After the dancing
had been going on for ten or fifteen min
utes the tomtoms ceased and he retired
To his place by the wall and covered his
steaning body with u cotton sheet. He
had probably walked mile through the
snow with the Thermometer % degs.
below zero. with only that cotton sheet TO
protect him from the cold. have seen
suuaws walking through the snow in bare
feet and carrying their mOccasins and
stockings in their hands. Each dance
was terminated by the old dime novel
war whoop, which the small boy initiates
by yelling. and at the same time vibrat-
ing his hand before his mouth
THE soUAws TAKE PART.
Once IN every hour the squaws are al
lowed to take part in the dancing while
the bucks rest. They join hands and
form circle about their tomtom, and
their dancing consists Of a series Of side
bitches to the left, accompanied by sing
ling They slowly travel around the circle.
Should any buck come near enOugh to the
. circle. the squaw nearest seizes his hand,
and he is compelled to join the squaw
dance and make his captor a present at its
close.
Al intervals during the dance we had
, noticed two squaws enter, carrying be
, tween them an iron pot slung on role.
The pot was deposited near the stove, and
the squaws disappeared only to repeated
" return with other similar burdens.
The contents Of the pots We discovered!
constituted the refreshments. had the
curiosity to look into one Of the pots, and
was Mortified to find it filled with a muddy
LIQUID out of which WAS protruding the
grinning head Of a good sized dog. II had
been killed by blow on the head and
thrown as it was into the po, to boil.
Each guest brings with him to the dance
tin cup with which he helps himself to
the soup at the proper time.
} At these dances the Indians even now
work themselves into perfect frenzy and
it has always been Il custom with them to
engage in dance before going to war or
on the eve of II battle. For this reason
they are allowed to dance only on certain
stated occasions.
spoke above OF the ornaments of eagle
feathers. These are the half white, half
black feathers from the eagles wings, and
are greatly priced by the Indians, who
consider them good medicine But in
order 10 he acceptable 10 the lndfan, the
feathers must have been taken from an
eagle whose blood has not been spilled. In
order to accomplish this. the Indian goes
to place near some eagles nest and digs
cylindrical hole in the ground just large
enough to hold him in standing posi-
ton. He carefully removes all the earth
taken out, and then, placing the bodies Of
few rabbits and birds around the open
ing, he gets into the hole, pulling over
him the grass around the edges in order
to hide himself rs much as possible. He
will remain there sometimes for days at a
time, until an eagle swoops down for the
bait Then a dusky hand IS thrust out Of
the hole, and clutches the birds leg, and
another one is soon choking him to death.
Cor New York Sun.
| New England Hospitality.
shall never again say that Massachu-